This past weekend the Hartford Softball Team opened up their season in Virginia, taking on the Norfolk State Spartans and Hampton Pirates. The weekend opened with a doubleheader against Norfolk State on Friday afternoon, where the Hawks dropped both games.
Hawks’ junior pitcher Caylee English was on the mound for the first game, resulting in a 5-4 loss. English pitched six innings, allowed six hits, four runs, and struck out four batters. Senior’s Emma Curry and Julianna Kocenski of the Hawks’ sparked the offense as Curry went 2-2 from the plate with an RBI double and Kocenski with a home run.
Kocenski was on the hill for the second game against the Spartans, where the Hawk’s lost 3-2 in a 9-inning affair. The first and only win of the weekend came in a 6-1 victory against the Hampton Pirates, where yet again Kocenski’s name was mentioned as she was the winning pitcher. The hitting came alive for the Hawks in the third inning, where Senior Kelsey Galevich launched a three-run homer to center field, followed by Senior Ally Beck hitting a solo shot to left field. Then in the fourth inning, Senior Haley Cassidy joined the long-ball party launching a two-run homer to left field. After the Hawk’s earned their first season victory, they faced Norfolk State again and lost 6-4 in another close battle. Following that loss, the Hawks dropped the fifth and final game of the tournament 13-0 against Hampton.
The first weekend of the 2022 season was a steppingstone for the Hawks, where they are looking to be dominant all year long. This upcoming weekend the Hawks will travel to Dover, Delaware to battle Delaware State in a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by an early 11 am start on Sunday.